Improvement in horse hat-rakes



SOLOMON r. SMITH, or "WATER'FORD, New YORK.

Letters Patent No. 102,172, dated A pri? 19, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-RAKES.-

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same To all whom it lmay concern.:

ABe it known that l, SOLOMONI. SMITH, of Waterford, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse Hay-Rakes; and 'I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactldescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings of the same, which malte part of this specification, and in whichf Figure l represents a top view of a hay-rake, em bracing my improvements;

Figure 2 represents a vert-ical longitudinal section of the same, the several parts occupying the position they do when the rake is in operation;

Figure 3 represents a "similar section, showing the rake-teeth frame tilted to lift the teeth over the windrow; and

Figure 4, a view, in perspective, of one of thc toothed drag-bars,'sl1owing its attachment to a portion ofthe carryingand tilting-flame.

, My improvements relates to that class of hay-lakes. in which is employed a tilting-frame carrying hinged drag-bars, to which wooden teeth are secured.

In the accompanying drawingsv A represents the supporting and carrying-wheels, mounted upon an axle, B, to which the thills C are secured and braced. Y

Three standards, I) D and E, are erected upon the axle, to the upper ends of the two outer ones, D, of which the tilting-flame of the drag-bars is hinged, while the central one E supports the seat F ofthe driver.

The carrying and tilting-frame consists of two parallel bars, G1 G, placed a suitable. distanceapart, and secured togetherby parallel cross-bars y, placed at right angles to the bars G1 G2, and at such distances apart as to form separate and distinct compartments for the reception of each pair of the series-of dragbars, as shown in g. l of the drawings. This carrying and tilting-frame is hinged above the axle B by its rear bar G, and therefore extends forward over the v'lhe drag-bars consist of two spring bars, H H, hingednear the front bar Gr2 of the tilting-trame by a rod, I, common to all, and extend backward over the rear bar Cvl thereof. These drag-bars are open at their hinged ends,.and press laterally against the adjacent sides of their respective compartments, and so converge in their direction rearward as to be nearly or quite in contact at their connection with the teeth.

A separating block, h,issecured between these bars H nearer their toothed than their hinged ends, the e'ect of which is to constantly expand their said hinged ends s'o as to brace them firmly in their respecti ve compartments, while their spring perfectly re- 'lieves them from binding from any cause.

ture adds many advantages to a drag-bar rake, consti- This feat tuting, as it does, a lateral compensating double brace to the hinge of each pair of bars, and a double brace vto each fixed pair of teeth, while at the same time it allows the latter to twist to either side in passing over 'and around obstructions, and in turning round while raking. Moreover, the use of separate compartments for each set of drag-bars inolpses'them so that they shall not depend for lateral bearing upon the adjacent drag-bars. v Y

The teeth J are secured and braced to the dragbars H in pairs, and the latter, being also arranged in pairs, mutually strengthen and brace each other. The teeth are secured to the drag-bars atan acute angle, and'when resting upon'the ground and a tilting-frame vlocked to its support, a space, (t, g. 2, will be left between the drag-bars and the rear bar G of the tiltingframc,for the purpose of allowing theteeth of 'the independent drag-bars to accommodatethemselves to any depressions in -the surface ofthe ground below the line of the supporting-wheels, whereby the hay is perfectly gathered and gleaned, notwithstanding surface irregularities.

The tilting-frame and drag-bars being thus arranged and hinged, are nearlybalanced, and the former is limited in its ascent and maintained in proper position by contact with the arm K of the rakers seat F, so that the elastic pressure of the material being raked will assist in tilting the frame when the rake is filled.

The front bar G2 of the tilting-frame, when the teeth are raking the cut grass or grain, islocked beneath a horizontal arm, K, extending frontward from the seat F and sustained by ,a stud, L, erected upon the crossbar M of the thills to which the foot-rest N of the` driver is also secured.

The locking and releasing device of the tiltingframe consists of a foot-lever pivoted to the stud L, near the foot-rest N, so that its foot end O projects laterally in front of the pivot b, while its locking end l? extends upward and rearward through a slot, c, fig. 1, in the arm K, in a position by its weight to constantly' rest against the front bar Gf2 of the tiltingframe, and conform to the arc described by said frame, so that the front bar thereof will always catch into a notch, c, near the upper end of said foot-lever, and at the limit of the ascent of the tilting-frame, whereby the latter is sustained in position while the teeth are raking.

' When required to unlock the tilting-frame, -the driver with his foot prcssesupon the lateral branch O, so as, to release the notched end ot' the foot-lever,

.and thus removes the support of said frame, and allows it to tilt and the teeth to rise, which movement is effected by means of acurved hand-lever, Q, pivoted,

like the foot-lever, to the vertical stud L, with its handle projecting through aguide, f, in the horizontal arm of the seat F, within reach of the driver, and its lower end connected by a link, i, to one of' the division bars, g, of the tilting-frame, so that when said frame is released from its locked position by the pressnre of the foot of the driver, he completes the elevation of the teeth by grasping anddrawing rearward the handle ofthe tilting-lever, upon liberating which, after the teeth have passed over the windrow, the

toothed ends of the drag-bars descend with snfiieient.k

force to bring up the front bar of the tilting-frame and automatically lock it with the foot-lever. l

'.lhe drag-bars and their teeth may be held up clear of' the ground when required, by locking` the handlever, by means of a pin, a, to the side of the seat. and when thus raised the teeth are nearly vertical.

`instead of the drag-bars being made separate they may be eut ont of a solid piece, having their rearends solid as ofa single bar, as shown in fig. l, ata, of the drawings. llavingdeseribed inyinvention,

'I elaiin 1. The arrangement of the pairs of teeth of the twin spring drag-bars firmly and rigidly braced to each other and to the teeth, the inclined hinged tiltingframe, and the parallel division bars g, for confining the spring-hinged ends` of' the drag-bars Within sepan ate compartments of saidframe, as herein shown and described.

so as to diverge laterally toivard their hinged ends, the spreading blocks 71-for the purpose of imparting to each branch of the twin bar a constant expanding force at their open ends, in'the manner herein shown and described.

3. The foot-lever I?, maintained in a rearward inelined'position. by its connection with the arm K, so as to admit of a slight rising and falling niotion for the purpose of locking7 by its weight, the front bar of a vtilting-tranne, extending forward of the axle, to snpport said frame in an inclined posit-ion againstthe upward pressure of the drag-bars when the teeth are raking, as herein shown and described.

4. The combination of the tilting and carryingframe, constructed with division bars g, hinged to and extending forward of the axle, the lateral diverging spring drag-bars, constructed with spreading blogksh, the linclined loeking-lever1, the hand-lever Q, the seat F, and the supporting frame, the several parts being constructed and arranged as shown and described.

In testimonywhereof-I have hereunto set my hand.

SOLOMON P. SMlTH.

Titiiessesz .l. H. Urrnmmx, A. F. H. Jonsson.

2. In connect-ion with drag-bars united to each other 

